[Project] Fan Speed Controller

Lordbob75 · 28 May 2010

Alright! I finally succeeded in getting the first third of my fan controller completed.

I thought I would post a picture of what it looks like right now:

[Project] Fan Speed Controller-first-run-speed-controller.jpg

What do you all think? I have it plugged into my side fan for now, and have left it on full speed.

The issues I have run into are:
LED dimming/brightening (https://www.sevenforums.com/chillout-...ightening.html)
Clean wiring (as in cable management)
Random unexpected problems (minor stuff)

Other than that it is not complete yet, and that damned LED, I am really happy with how it looks. I think the silver knob really sets it off.

My plans to finish:
Wire up all 4 of my case fans with potentiometers and LEDs
Mount the 4 pots onto a 2 bay mount plate
Get the LEDs to actually dim and brighten
Put the switches for the case lights (4 fan lights eventually, cathodes, and maybe undermounted LEDs)
Get that key switch mounted on the plate as well
Replace the start button with my toggle switch with safety cover (like in a fighter jet)

Anyways, hope you guys like this.

Lordbob75 · 07 Jun 2010

Update:

So I ordered my pots and knobs. Everything is ready and in place to begin, save for that front plate. I made it 5mm too large, and I don't think there is a way to fix it.
I really am not looking forward to making a new plate, but that may be what I have to do...

~Lordbob

ZaLiTH · 07 Jun 2010

Looking good so far LordBob... However, I really hope you're going to get black knobs for the fan speed controllers though.

That large, shiny, silver controller looks a little bit out of place on the nice black mesh.

As for the cabling and piece of brown PCB visible through the side: cable sleeving and some black spray paint should sort that out quite nicely.

For the new power switch idea; if you can find a switch of the same size and shape, there are some really stylish looking on/off switches over at MNPCTech. Although they have some really awesome looking stuff there, the site isn't really the easiest to navigate and there isn't a search function (not that I can see anyway), but if you email them they reply pretty quickly.

Lordbob75 · 07 Jun 2010

Zalith, I already have my safety switch and everything.

Everything will be mounted on a plate, not the mesh it is on now. As I said above, the one I made is too big, so I am stuck.

~Lordbob

ZaLiTH · 08 Jun 2010

Lordbob75 said:

Zalith, I already have my safety switch and everything.

Everything will be mounted on a plate, not the mesh it is on now. As I said above, the one I made is too big, so I am stuck.

~Lordbob

Oh... I see now, I wasn't really sure what that bracket was for. Makes a lot more sense now.. Anyway, here's the message I posted in the other thread, figured it'll go better here anyway:

ZaLiTH said:

Lordbob75 said:

I don't know what you mean....

~Lordbob

Ok, let me try explain a bit differently.. Looking at the face plate of the panel you made, I see four pop-rivets (two on the left, two on the right). If these pop-rivets hold the side panels on, then you'd obviously need to remove them to take the bracket apart.

What I was suggesting, instead of scrapping the whole thing and starting again, cut off one side of the bracket you've already got there, and make it narrower. I was only suggesting cutting the right hand side from the photo you posted because there's a larger piece of flat metal next to the holes on that side than there is on the left.

Lordbob75 · 08 Jun 2010

The problem is that the rivets are not necessary now. I JB Welded the entire thing together (chemical welding), so I cant take it apart.

There is also no way to make it smaller, so I HAVE to make a new one, which is disheartening...

~Lordbob

Lordbob75 · 16 Jun 2010

I have good news!

I made a new plate, and here it is:

[Project] Fan Speed Controller-painted-plate.jpg

I am now going to start writing my tutorial on how to make the potentiometer connection here:
Fan Speed Controller - Build your Own

~Lordbob

ZaLiTH · 17 Jun 2010

Lordbob75 said:

I have good news!

I made a new plate, and here it is:

Looking really good so far.. :)

Nemix · 17 Jun 2010

Looks sick! If you ask me.

Lordbob75 · 17 Jun 2010

Thanks guys. Yesterday was (hopefully) my final run to Frys for this project.

I have everything I need, and I have 3 of the 4 pots wired up. Next up today is to wire the last pot, then work on the switches. I also have to figure out which ground wire on the fan goes to the LEDs.

~Lordbob